Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Emerald ash borer workshop at UT Arboretum this evening

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Tree Board is hosting a workshop focused on the impact of the emerald ash borer in the area. The event, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, August 29, will provide important information regarding the emerald ash borer for property owners, landscapers, and others involved in the maintenance of green spaces, a press release said.

Ash trees make up a significant percentage of the urban forest in the area and have traditionally been a landscaping staple. Many of these trees in Oak Ridge are already dead or beyond treatment, but a significant number can be saved. At the workshop this evening, experts from around the area will address issues that include the identification of affected ash trees and responses to emerald ash borer infestation, including appropriate treatment. [Read more…]

City tree board has workshop on emerald ash borer on Aug. 29

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Tree Board is hosting a workshop focused on the impact of the emerald ash borer in the area. The event, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, August 29, will provide important information regarding the emerald ash borer for property owners, landscapers, and others involved in the maintenance of green spaces, a press release said.

“Ash trees make up a significant percentage of our urban forest and have traditionally been a landscaping staple,” the press release said. “Many of these trees in Oak Ridge are already dead or beyond treatment, but a significant number can be saved. At the workshop later this month, experts from around the area will address issues such as identification of affected ash trees and responses to EAB (emerald ash borer) infestation, including appropriate treatment.”

Those who attend will learn about these pests and their origin and how they spread across the country, as well as the techniques used in diverse areas ranging from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to urban areas, such as Knoxville and surrounding municipalities. [Read more…]

Emerald ash borer could kill most ash trees, cost city about $660,000

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Typical ash tree locations, plus color enhancements—Providence Road. (Images by City of Oak Ridge)

Typical ash tree locations, plus color enhancements—Providence Road. (Images by City of Oak Ridge)

 

A pest known as the emerald ash borer could kill most ash trees in Oak Ridge, and the cost to treat or remove the trees that pose a threat to the city’s electric system has been estimated at $662,000, officials said.

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients.

The City of Oak Ridge said in May that ash trees in Oak Ridge are dead or dying due to the emerald ash borer. Once compromised by the beetle, the city said then, the trees pose a significant hazard to people, property, and power lines.

“The impact of this pest is extreme,” Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack L. Suggs said in a June 27 memo to City Manager Mark Watson. “We expect virtually 100 percent death of all ash trees in the city, with only trees receiving ongoing chemical treatment surviving. Many of these trees will impact our power lines, in addition to other public facilities such as parks and streets.”

A survey of the city’s electric power lines with help from University of Tennessee forestry interns this summer is evaluating the health of the trees and the probability that they might affect the electric system. The work is only about one-third complete, but officials estimate there could be about 1,000 to 1,200 trees that will need to be either treated or removed because of their potential to affect the city’s electric system, Suggs said. [Read more…]

Diseased ash trees threaten Oak Ridge electric system

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

OakRidgeAshTree

Oak Ridge ash tree (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Ash trees in Oak Ridge are dead or dying due to a pest known as the Emerald Ash Borer, a press release said. Once compromised by the beetle, the trees pose a significant hazard to people, property, and the power lines in the community.

During the next few weeks, in order to prevent incidents due to fallen trees and branches, the Oak Ridge Electric Department will be identifying and, in some cases, removing ash trees found in the public rights of way adjacent to power lines, the press release said.

“One of our responsibilities is to maintain proper clearance between the City’s electric power lines and the area’s abundant urban forest,” Oak Ridge Electric Department Director Jack Suggs said. “We remove trees on public property when they are identified as a high hazard to our system. Unfortunately, the ash trees in Oak Ridge are presenting such a hazard. During an informal survey, it appeared that most, if not all, of the ash trees were experiencing some kind of distress and are in the process of dying.” [Read more…]

Thursday lecture to focus on preventing invasion by non-native forest pests

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A Thursday evening lecture in Oak Ridge will focus on preventing the invasion of non-native forest pests.

It’s sponsored by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society and the UT Forest Resources and Education Center, and it’s their last lecture series of 2014. It’s jointly sponsored by Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and the Tennessee Nature Conservancy, press releases said.

The talk will be given by Martin Wood, Conservation Coordinator with the Tennessee Nature Conservancy. It’s scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday, November 13, in the City Room of Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Insect that kills ash trees found in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Emerald Ash Borer Trap Inspection

Oak Ridge National Laboratory intern Jordan Chaney inspects an emerald ash borer trap near Bethel Valley Road. (Photo courtesy of ORNL)

The emerald ash borer, a destructive insect that attacks ash trees and can kill them, has been found on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation, according to an article posted on ORNL Today.

The non-native insect was first trapped in Roane and Anderson counties in May, the article said. One trap was on Highway 95 at the Highway 58 interchange, and the other was on Bethel Valley Road near the East Portal.

“Unfortunately, these finds signal the beginning of a decline of ash species throughout the reservation,” said Greg Byrd, forester with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Natural Resources Program.

[Read more…]